A Tide of Change Waves in Pemba: World Environment Day as a Turning Point for Zero Plastic Waste

On World Environment Day 2025, those same roots became the ground for something new.

In the heart of Chakechake District, local communities, youth leaders, civil society groups, and government officials gathered in a spirit of shared responsibility. What took place was not just a cleanup — it was a coordinated, community-driven action that collected, sorted, and documented 1.5 tonnes of plastic waste from coastal hotspots in just one day.

The momentum was real, the leadership was local, and the message was unmistakable: the work of protecting Zanzibar’s coasts has entered a new phase — one rooted in action, inclusion, and collaboration.

This important milestone was the result of convergence between two complementary IUCN-led initiatives. The IslandPlas Project, funded by The Coca-Cola Foundation, focuses on advancing circular solutions to plastic pollution across seven African island states, including Zanzibar. Alongside it, the Bahari Mali Project, supported by the Embassy of Ireland in Dar es Salaam, strengthens marine governance and community stewardship across local marine managed areas (LMMAs).

While IslandPlas brought the tools, language, and systems of the circular economy to the table, Bahari Mali activated trusted local networks from LMMA practitioners to coastal youth and informal actors creating the enabling environment needed for meaningful impact.

This wasn’t a demonstration. It was coordination. On the ground, three community-based organizations (CBOs) and three informal waste picker groups led the process. They didn’t just collect, they separated, categorized, and mapped the waste, laying the groundwork for future hotspot monitoring.

Youth facilitators played a powerful role. Through live demonstrations, they introduced circular thinking to the community: showing how plastic can be reused, revalued, and redirected before it enters the ocean. These weren’t technical trainings — they were moments of awareness, empowerment, and pride.

Equally important was the presence of local government. Representatives from the Department of Environment under the First Vice President’s Office in Pemba attended the event and voiced strong support for improving plastic waste education, piloting community collection systems, and formally recognizing the role of informal actors in local waste governance.

Together, these actions brought to life the three pillars that define the vision of Zero Plastic Waste Islands: people, policy, and innovation. Each was visible, tangible, and active on the ground.

For the IslandPlas team, this was not a pilot — it was the beginning of implementation. The  campaign’s roadmap is clear the initiative will support plastic waste management solutions across Unguja and Pemba, through cleanups, school outreach, innovation challenges, policy dialogues, and community storytelling. It is part of a broader effort to make Zanzibar a continental model for circular economy innovation under the Great Blue Wall initiative.

Bahari Mali, meanwhile, continues to strengthen institutional collaboration, supporting sustainable marine resource use and the integration of local voices into marine policy and co-management. With funding from the Embassy of Ireland in Dar, the project is amplifying pathways for long-term resilience that are driven by the very communities they aim to serve.

The event in Pemba was not framed as a launch. But in every sense that matters - participation, purpose, policy support, it signalled that Zanzibar’s movement against plastic waste is no longer an idea. It is underway. And it is grounded in the mangroves, in the people, and in the partnerships that matter most.

Looking ahead, IslandPlas will finalize data from recent waste audits to map plastic leakage hotspots and design targeted responses. Community trainings on reuse, segregation, and entrepreneurship will expand, and a coordinated framework for local waste collection will be explored in close partnership with government authorities and informal workers. Youth and women will continue to play central roles in building a future where no plastic is left behind — and no voice is left out.

What happened in Pemba was not a celebration. It was a commitment.

From coastline to cabinet, Zanzibar is moving — and it’s starting exactly where it should: with the people.